Adjustable rear flap for boats



Sept. 24, 1957 B. e. VANDRE 2,807,228

ADJUSTABLE REAR FLAP FOR BOATS Filed Sept. 28, 1954 IN VEN TOR.

29 mg W;

United. States. Patent Ofifice ADJUSTABLE FOR BOATS Bernard G. Vandre,.St. Cloud, Minn. Application September 28, 1954, Serial No. 458,747

1 Claim. (Cl. .114-145) My invention relates to improvements in boats and more particularly to power-driven rowboats and the like.

In late years the trend in outboard motors designed for use in conjunction with rowboats and the like has been decidedly in the direction of more power and speed. In fact the majority of motors produced today propel such rowboats at minimum speeds in excess of that de sired for trolling for the purpose of fishing.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of novel and inexpensive means whereby the speed of rowboats even with large motors may be reduced sufiiciently to permit trolling for fishing purposesthus obviating the necessity for two motors, one designed for heavy duty such as pulling surfboards and water skis, and the other designed for light duty and slow speeds such as required in trolling and the like.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class described which may be manufactured as an accessory and is readily secured to, and, if desired, removed from a boat transom.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class described which, incorporates a minimum of working parts, is extremely easy to operate, and is durable.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class described which is not unsightly and will not interfere with the forward motion of the boat or motor when moved to its inoperative position.

The above and still further objects of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claim, and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a view in rear elevation of a boat having my novel device secured to the transom thereof;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view partly in section and partly in side elevation taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 but showing a different position of some of the parts;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in side elevation taken substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring with greater particularity to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates in its entirety a rowboat or the like, the transom of which is identified by the numeral 2, and the bottom thereof by the numeral 3.

A speed-reducing flap 4 is hingedly secured as at 5 along one longitudinal edge to the bottom longitudinal edge of an elongated anchoring flange or strip 6 adapted to be secured, preferably removably, to the bottom edge of the transom 2 by means of screws or the like 7. It will be noted that the hinge 6 lies approximately in the plane of the bottom 3 of the boat 1. The free edge 8 of the flap 4 is notched centrally as at 9 to receive the depending drive shaft of an outboard motor, not shown, but carried by the transom 2 in a conventional manner.

2,807,228 Patented Sept. 24, 11957 Cooperating pairs of toggle links, identified in their entirety by t um a 10?, r in e d b tws 'n h t n 2 a d h f a P ef ra y nd a hqwa ne on each side of the. notch Q. As shown, thetoggle ar channel shaped o et na l d; 'qat ri s' upper relatively short links 11 and lower relatively longer: nk L k 1 and a e P q y assur d. e 6! a a by short rive s whic p s throu a i a qflaar ings 14 in pairs of cooperating aligned ears 15 projecting laterally outwardly from and formed integrally with the opposed walls 16 of the channels of which they form a part. The bottoms of the channels are identified by the numeral 17. The upper ends of the links 11 are pivotally secured between spaced'parallel ears 18, as indicated at 18', projecting rearwardly from an anchoring bracket 19, which in turn is secured to the transom 2 upwardly of the anchoring flange 6 by means of a nutequipped bolt or the like 20. The lower or free ends of the links 12 are pivotally secured to the flap 4 through the medium of pairs of laterally projecting spaced ears or flanges 21, which are in turn welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the rear face 22 of the anchoring flap 4 by any suitable means, the pivot axis being identified by the numeral 22a.

It will thus be seen that the flap 4 through the medium of the toggle links 10, is mounted for swinging movements from the inoperative position of Fig. 3, wherein the flap 4 projects rearwardly and forms substantially a rearward extension of the bottom 3 of the boat 1, to the operative position of Fig. 2 wherein said flap 4 forms a downward extension of the transom 2. A coil spring 23 has its looped opposite ends hooked about teeth 24 and 25, the former located in the bottom 17 of the channel shaped link 11 and the other locate-d in the bottom 17 of the lower link 12. As shown in Fig. 4, the coil springs 23 are of a size to be totally received within the channels formed by the links 11 and 12. The pivot axis of the rivets 13 being laterally offset from a line intersecting the pivotal connections 18' and 22a, it follows that the spring 23 biases the toggle links 10 beyond dead center in either direction. Thus, in Figs. 1 and 4, the spring 23 as shown is securely locking the links 11 and 12 in their aligned end to end abutting operative relationship; whereas said spring 23 biases the links 11 and 12 toward the collapsed position of Fig. 3 when same are moved beyond dead center in the opposite direction. As shown, particularly by Figs. 3 and 5, the coil spring 23 is such that it passes between the rivets 13 forming the pivotal connection between the adjacent ends of the links 11 and 12.

As above indicated, the flap 4 normally lies in the position of Fig. 3 when in an inoperative position. When it is desired to place it in operative position for the purpose of trolling and the like, the operator merely has to manually extend the links 11 and 12 to the position of Figs. 1, 2 and 4. Once the links have passed dead center, they will snap into the aligned position of Figs. 2 and 4 where they will be securely retained in operative position by the spring 23. This operative relationship between the toggle links 10 can be upset only by the operators forcing the pivotally connected adjacent ends of the toggle links 11 and 12 rearwardly on the pivot axis 13. When this pivotal movement has caused arms 11 and 12 to pass beyond dead center, the spring 23 will snap same into the inoperative, fully retracted position of Fig. 3.

My invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the accomplishment of the above objects and while I have disclosed a preferred embodiment thereof I wish it to be specifically understood that same is capable of modification within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In a device of the class described, an elongated unbroken speed-retarding flap, an elongated anchoring flange adapted to be secured to a transom of a boat adjacent thebottom edge thereof, hinge means securing one 10ngitudinal edge of said flap to the bottom edge of said flange, the free edge of said flap being centrally notched to re ceive therein the drive shaft housing of an outboard motorcarried by a transom, a pair of toggle links pivotally secured at one of their free ends to said flap on opposite sides of said notch and adapted to be pivotally secured at their other ends to a transom above said anchoring flange for swinging movements of said flap from an inoperative position forming substantially a rearward extension of the bottom of a boat to an operative position forming substantially a downward extension of a transom, and spring means biasing said toggle links away 5 from dead center in opposite directions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 655,140 Wendler July 31, 1900 10 2,230,958 Langdon Feb. 4, 1941 2,238,844 Arbeitlang Apr. 15, 1941 2,576,744 Anderson Nov. 27, 1951 2,608,946 Hoover Sept. 2, 1952 

